Biloxi Palace Starts Triple Crown Trail in Lecomte

Biloxi Palace, a two-time winner at Fair Grounds, is looking to make a name for himself along the VISA Triple Crown trail with a solid performance in Saturday's $100,000 Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds. The LeComte is the first in a three-race series leading up to the March 12 Louisiana Derby (gr. II).

Trained by Danny Peitz for Robert and Lawana Low, Biloxi Palace broke his maiden by five lengths opening weekend at the New Orleans oval and followed that with an entry-level allowance win around two turns the day after Christmas.

Biloxi Palace, a 3-year-old son of Seattle Slew out of Mining My Business, by Mining has a career record of 2-1-0 from four starts.

Jockey Javier Castellano will have the mount aboard Biloxi Palace Saturday.

Expected to give Biloxi Palace a challenge will be the Dallas Stewart-trained Storm Surge. The Overbrook Farm homebred son of Storm Cat brings legitimate credentials to the one-mile race.

Storm Surge won the seven-furlong Lone Star Juvenile on the Breeders' Cup undercard and was a solid second behind Lunarpal in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs. In his only start around two turns, Storm Surge finished sixth as the favorite in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) in November at Churchill Downs.

Robby Albarado has the mount aboard Storm Surge.

Other probables for the Lecomte include: Smooth Bid; Kansas City Boy; Silver Haze; Major League; and Munificence.